The invention relates to a device for combining groups of filter segments for producing multi-segment filters of the tobacco industry in a continuous process, wherein at least two different types of filter segments are provided for each multi-segment filter.
The invention furthermore relates to a trough drum for axially positioning rod-shaped articles that are to be cut and/or are cut of the tobacco industry in longitudinal direction, said trough drum comprising mobile alignment stops that extend into the holding troughs. The tobacco industry desires to produce multi-segment filters comprising different segments that are made, for example, from different types of material. These materials may include, for example, cellulose acetate, paper, non-woven material, granulate, sintered elements, hollow cylinders or hollow chambers, capsules and the like. Multi-segment filters of this type, which also include the term “multiple filters” for the purpose of this invention, are wrapped for example with a wrapping material such as paper after the filter segment groups are formed, e.g. in a continuous process, and are then cut into filter rods having two times, four times or six times the usable filter rod length, such that they can be processed further.
A continuous process device is known from reference DE-OS 24 52 749, which corresponds to reference GB 15 22 139 and was filed by the legal predecessor of the applicant. With this device, groups of filter segments and/or groups of filter rods are formed with the aid of a group-forming device operating with the lateral positioning method and are then transferred to the continuous process device, such that the groups of filter rods can be enveloped in longitudinal axial direction with wrapping material. However, the group-forming device used in this case is a device that must be replaced completely if the filter segments themselves change or if the sequence of the filter segments changes.
This replacement involves high financial expenditure along with a low variability in the production of the multiple filters.
The applicant's machine KDF 2E is a typical continuous process device while applicant's machine GC E is a typical group-forming device. Both devices are well known in the trade and are marketed in the form of a combination machine of the type MULFI E.
In order to transfer of the groups formed with the group-forming device to the continuous process device, we want to point to reference DE-OS 25 34 666, which corresponds to reference U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,659. The content of this patent application as well as the content of the DE-OS 24 52 749 is to be incorporated into the disclosure content of the present application.
Reference DE 198 58 600 A1 by the applicant also discloses a device for axially positioning in longitudinal direction the rod-shaped articles of the tobacco industry which must be cut. This device in particular uses a trough drum by means of which staggered and sequentially following filter rods are moved to form a cross-axial row, such that a cut for separating the filter rods can be made.